Robbery spree leads to more charges for Derry woman

BRENTWOOD — A Derry woman facing charges for robberies in Rockingham and Hillsborough counties has been indicted for a heist at the East Derry General Store in April.

Rochelle Richards, 23, is being held on $50,000 bail at the Rockingham County jail, facing charges of robbery and attempted robbery.

A grand jury indicted Richards earlier this month for possession of a controlled drug and for the April 7 robbery of the East Derry store.

She was also indicted last month in Rockingham County Superior Court for the April 9 attempted robbery of a Subway restaurant on Perkins Road in Londonderry.

The new drug charge is punishable by 15 to 30 years in state prison and a $500,000 fine. The robbery charges each carry potential 3½- to 7-year prison terms.

Richards allegedly told an employee at Subway that she had a gun, but no weapon was shown, according to prosecutors.

A worker called 911 reporting that the woman fled in a blue Dodge Neon that was parked near the restaurant.

Derry police arrested Richards after receiving tips that helped identify her. Police in Londonderry and Manchester then brought charges for similar incidents.

Manchester police charged her with robbing a D’Angelo’s sandwich shop on South Willow Street on April 3, and the Candia Road Convenience store on April 9.

The Manchester robbery happened about 40 minutes after the attempted robbery in Londonderry, police said.

Richards had said during her initial court appearance that she committed the robberies because of a heroin addiction.

She was recently allowed by a judge to enter a residential drug treatment center while awaiting trial on all charges. But Richards must first find a program that will accept her before her bail is converted into personal recognizance, according to a judge’s order.

An absence or departure from the treatment program would result in Richards being held on $50,000 cash bail pending her trial in superior court, according to the court order.